Hinted Risks Won
by Sesamina
Summary: Kate is on a mission. DJ is unhelpful. And this is how my Kilimanjaro would have ended.


A/N: Many thanks go to RainneCassidy, who finds every 'o' I lose on the way.

A/N 2: I live in happy-kilimanjaro-ever-after-land. The timeline isn't totally correct but that's what fiction is for.

Disclaimer: I don't own Perception, its characters and their hallucinations.

He was staring out the window in his office – still wearing his jacket and his scarf – trying not to think about the words forming on Kate's lips right now. He didn't know exactly what she decided to tell that pompous ass. For all he knew, she could have made up her mind either way. Maybe she's already lying in Professor Wonderful's arms, whispering that they can make it work if she tries hard enough.

"Or maybe she told him to go to hell because she's into you." DJ walked through the room, not even looking at his older self. He stopped in front of Daniel's desk and pointed to a cassette tape with faded letters on it, that were once written in bold black."Man, you really are old. Tears for Fears? When was the last time you listened to music recorded after 1980?"

Daniel just snorted and turned around, leaning his back against the wall beside the window and crossing his arms in front of him.

"What are you still doing here? Didn't we say goodbye just a few minutes ago?"

DJ grinned and hopped on the window sill, dangling his feet. "Yeah, I thought so, too. But apparently you need another kick in the ass. Because you give shitty advice to a certain woman, who would gladly take something else from you."

Daniel looked down, intensely studying his converse clad feet. Yeah, right.

Before he could think of a witty answer to his way–too–smug younger self he heard a knock on the door. Great. Just what he needed. Why couldn't people leave him alone after his lessons? He has scheduled consultation hours for a reason.

"Just let her in," came the sing song voice from his left. The boy was still grinning way too sassy, and was he wiggling his eyebrows now? Really?

But Daniel kept staring at the strong wooden door, hoping whoever it was – certainly not Kate – would just go away, if he didn't answer.

No such luck. Slowly the door opened, creaking slightly, and revealing the person constantly on his mind. It's a miracle really that he doesn't regularly hallucinate Kate late at night when he can't sleep and starts mulling over the things he could have if his condition didn't get in the way.

Beside him DJ shook his head, sighing quietly. "You can't use this excuse forever. One day she will believe you and move on to some – Whoa."

Kate looked like she had plan she intended to see through no matter what obstacles stood in her way. Especially if the obstacle's name was Daniel Pierce.

DJ's voice was now close to his ear. "She looks like she wants to jump you, Professor." And again with the eyebrow wiggling. God, he was an insufferable brat.

But maybe a spot–on insufferable brat. She stalked towards the wall he was leaning on and came to a stop right in front of him. He noticed how she slowly breathed in before she looked straight into his eyes. Beautiful, beautiful green eyes.

Then, cautiously but deliberately, she took hold of his striped scarf and pulled till his head was only mere millimeters from hers.

"I hope you finally get the message", was the only thing she whispered against his lips before she firmly crushed them against hers, not giving him the tiniest chance of escape. Not until she was finished delivering what she came here for.

When he didn't try to push her away, she gentled the kiss, stroked her tongue languidly over his lower lip and waited for him to open up. Let her in, hopefully in more ways than only this. Finally their tongues met and everything around them just stopped.

The moment they broke the kiss, Daniel only saw Kate's relived smile, her eyes still closed. Committing every second of it to memory. In the distance he heard DJ's voice disappear, "I told you, doc."

And just because he could, he leaned back in to savor the taste of her again, to just feel her smile against his lips.


End file.
